Austin real estate, city life, and urbanist culture since 2007

Austin: The Fastest Growing City

If it feels like a zillion people are moving to Austin, it is because it is true. A recently published analysis of the rate of migration for the top 40 cities shows that Austin is going at roughly twice the rate of the second fastest city in the U.S. (Tampa). And while Austin is leading the pack, San Antonio is the third fastest growing City, Dallas is #7, and Houston is #12.

The rapid population growth of Austin make downtown development important: as thousands of people move to Austin, the City will need to choose between density and sprawl. Density is more efficient and more environmentally friendly. It also means less traffic. But the high costs of dense development and long-lead times for new projects make it difficult for downtown projects to keep up with downtown housing demand.